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Tuesday, 5 July 2016

Limato to get back to what he's good at

Supporters of
Limato will be welcoming the news that trainer Henry Candy is ready
to return the four-year-old to the sprinting trips at which he
excelled himself as a young horse.

Limato was one
of the most imposing 6f sprinters around last summer, beaten only by
the exceptional Muhaarar in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal
Ascot in June.

A prolonged
break followed as Candy was forced to keep his powder dry and wait
for decent ground and, when the chance duly arrived at Doncaster in
September, Limato showed the sort of gear change that had him marked
down as a really exciting horse for this season.

That Group 2 win
in the Park Stakes saw Andrea Atzeni riding a patient race with
Limato held up out the back over 7f.

He weaved his
through the pack with consummate ease and Limato put the race to bed
almost in a matter of strides as he scampered clear to score
decisively.

That was his
first start beyond 6f and the manner in which he finished his race
might have had some bearing on the decision to target
the Lockinge over a mile at Newbury on his first start this term.

On ground that
was described as good, good to soft in places, Limato ran with a
degree of promise but his effort flattened out in the closing stages.

The prevailing
soft ground from then until now means that Candy has once more been
forced into a waiting game with Limato.

The return to 6f
will surely suit and Candy admits that he believes the horse has
grown and strengthened during his spell on the sidelines.

It is also worth
recalling the manner in which he returned to such good effect at
Doncaster back in September after a short break to score in the Park
Stakes.

His run
in the Lockinge has perhaps dampened expectations for Limato in
some quarters but this is a sprinter of genuine promise and,
feasibly, one from which there could still be more to come back at
his best trip.

In eight career
starts at 6f, Limato has recorded five wins and three runner-up
finishes.

While the soft
ground stopped Limato from making an appearance at Royal Ascot, his
stablemate Twilight Son was a game winner of the Diamond Jubilee
Stakes.

By his own
admission, Candy hates the thought of running his horses against one
another but the Lambourn handler has signalled his intention to do
just that by running Twilight Son and Limato in the July Cup should
there be good summer ground at Headquarters.

Limato's
supporters will be watching the conditions overhead with intrigue in
the coming days. The prospect of seeing him back doing what he does
best is one that appeals greatly – as he does it better than most.

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